Fund created for toddler who died in tragic snow accident
Two-year-old Halle Merrill is dead after a massive snow slide in Island Park.
The toddler’s seven-year-old sister and friend are still recovering at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.
Both are in fair condition as of Sunday night.
The accident happened at the Macks Inn areaon Upper Teton Ave.
People in Island Park and around Eastern Idaho are mourning the loss of the little girl.
They tell LocalNews 8/KIDK Eyewitness News, when there’s as much snow as there is in Island Park, terrible things like this can happen.
“You start out with a family memory that is wonderful and then you end up with a tragedy that you’ll never really get over,” said cabin maintenance manager Mike Bogden.
It only took several seconds for snow to fall off the roof of Merrill’s grandparent’s cabin.
“One of my closest friends was the first one there to start digging the kids out, and you know I mean they were working through all it was worth to try and get through seven feet of snow to get to the kids,” Bogden said.
It took more than 30 minutes.
“You know they got the oldest two out first and the youngest one was the last to come out,” said Bogden.
All three were flown by Life Flight to EIRMC but the girl died overnight.
“It’s just horrible… we’re all just terribly grieved by the loss of the young one,” said Bogden.
It’s like a mini avalanche because of the different consistency of each layer of snow.
“You will have no idea that it’s going to slide,” said cabin owner Stephen Bauchman.
Bauchman shoveled his roof twice this year.
“You can even wire it and it will cut it off into pieces and so it will roll off,” said Bauchman.
“We’ve had an unusual year. We’ve probably had the biggest snow year and moisture year that we’ve had in 32 years,” said Bauchman.
“Our thoughts are with them. Our prayers are with them,” Bodgen said.
Unexpected snow slides are more likely to happen on metal roofs and that’s why many people in island park hire someone get the snow off their roof every year.
A Fundly page is set up to help the toddler’s family.
More than $10,000 was raised by Sunday night.
“Our thoughts are with them. Our prayers are with them,” Bodgen said.
